Lips of An Angel
by nekoluver
Summary: Sometimes it's just too hard to let the one you love go.. Angsty Elricest, implied RoyEd and WinAl
1. Memories

_**So I decided to try something different. I'm not sure that this could really be considered a song fic, but it does follow the lyrics of the song. Well.. The first chapter does. I shall inform you now that this is a three-shot(with rather short chapters). Also, I'm taking the idea of Al's looks from Conqueror of Shambala..And.. I think that's it for now..**_

_**Warnings**__**: BoyXBoy relations(Shonen-ai/Yaoi), character death(suicide), angst, incest, excessive flashback use, a bit of violence, not exactly what you would call a 'happy ending', you get the idea...**_

_Flashback_

Present time

'_Thought_'

"Speech"

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Lips of An Angel

Chapter One: Memories

Ed sat in the livingroom of the house he shared with Roy Mustang, musing about the past. Flashbacks continuously flowed through his mind like a tainted stream in the woods. There were many that he tried to push away. He finally picked up a book, attempting to distract himself from those phantoms. Just when he though he was safe, a memory hit him hard, one too powerful for him to push away.

- - -

_A blond boy lay bloody on the ground, his golden eyes barely open. He felt like he was dying, and figured it was likely to be the truth. He had no way of knowing if the experiment had been successful. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the part not focused on the pain, he was filled with rage. 'This wasn't supposed to happen! We had the __**Philosopher's Stone**__! ..Was it a fake..?' _

_Suddenly he felt a body over his own. Someone was hugging him, and they were crying. 'Why...?' Then a choked sob answered his mental question. "_Brother!_"_

_Half-lidded golden eyes peered up into scared brown ones. "_Al.._" the blond whispered in amazement. "_You're back.._" _

"Brother! Why did this happen?! We had the stone!_" the brunette's voice was high-pitched and scared._

"I don't know.. Al.. It hurts..._" Ed groaned. Al quickly dressed himself in the clothes they had brought in hopes that the experiment would indeed work. He then wrapped the nearby red cloak around Ed in an attempt to stop the bleeding, picking up his brother, and carrying him to the hospital._

_Ed buried his face in Al's chest, breathing in his younger brother's scent. He was exhausted, but he didn't dare fall asleep. He was afraid that when he woke up, he would find it had all just been a dream._

- - -

The blond had dropped his book long ago as he relived the day he had gotten his brother's body back. He still remember it as if it had happened only a day ago. He remembered how happy he was to be able to see his little brother's face again, and also how Al's face had fallen when he saw that Ed was still missing two of his limbs.

Ed sighed as he examined his automail hand. He had been so afraid that Al would reject him the day he woke up in the hospital. In Ed's mind, Al had become perfect, while Ed was still a freak of nature. Of course, the rejection had not taken place, though Al's face was seldom without disappointment when his gaze fell upon the cool metal.

It was a long time before Al could look at Ed without sadness showing in his eyes. When he had finally accepted that Ed was stuck with automail, though, things got a lot better. There was something close to normality then. The brothers were finally happy. Then things started to change, though not in a way that could be classified as bad.

- - -

_The brothers shared a laugh over some joke they had heard. They were sitting on the back porch of the Rockbell house in Resembool, sipping lemonade. Both of them found it hard to believe that any place they were could be so peaceful. If was nice for a long while, but eventually they got bored._

_Perhaps it was this boredom that caused the changes within them, or maybe it was there all along. Maybe still, it was inevitable, and could not have been prevented no matter what. Whatever the reason, the change happened. _

_Ed had struggled over his feelings for a long time. He knew it was wrong to allow his eyes to follow the brunette now seated beside him. It was dangerous to let his eyes linger too long. He passed it off as amazement at seeing his brother now in the flesh, but he knew the truth. The feelings he had may have been newly awakened, but they had slept dormant in his heart for a long time. _

_He had, of course, pushed his feelings aside. He would break his own heart to protect his brother. Ed had always been the type to do anything for his little brother, he had just never realized why. He had never realized how blurred the lines between the different types of love were. _

_As these thoughts ran through Ed's mind, he was too distracted to notice his brother slowly moving towards him. In fact, Ed was not brought from his musings until a pair of soft lips gently collided with his own. Though he had been wrenched back to reality, he fleetingly wondered if he was dreaming. The thought, like all others, disappeared as Al deepened the kiss. _

_Suddenly Ed was kissing back, and hearts collided along with lips. Neither of the brothers bothered to question their actions. It didn't matter what they did anymore. They had committed so many sins before, what was one more? This made them happy, and that was all that mattered at the time. _

- - -

As happy as those memories were, they were always tinged with sadness as they passed through Ed's mind. They were such good times, it was too bad they didn't last. Ed couldn't complain too much though, it had been he that caused them to end. He still continued to believe that it had been for the best, it had to have been. It scared him to think that all the pain had been for nothing. He had broken both of their hearts, and if that had been meaningless...

Al hadn't spoken to him in years; not since the break up.

- - -

_Al kissed Ed on the cheek, as was the norm at the time. "_I love you, Brother,_" he said, expecting his brother to say it back. When no response came, he looked at Ed, concern evident on his face. "_Brother? Is something wrong?_" _

_Ed sighed, and stared off to the side. "_We can't do this anymore, Al.." _he said softly. _

"What do you mean?_" Al asked, his voice full of confusion mixed with a drop of fear. Ed turned his head to stare directly into Al's eyes. _

"You know what I mean_," he said seriously._

"B-but Brother! You said it didn't bother you! You said the taboo didn't matter!_"_ _Al was shaking from the raw emotion he was feeling. The anger, the sadness. Ed was sure he could hear the younger boy's heart breaking._

"Al,_" Ed said sternly, though his voice was also tinged with sadness. _"I'm leaving, and I want you to find happiness after I'm gone, understand?"

_Al shook his head in denial. _"No!"

"I'm sorry, Al..._" Ed said softly. Without looking into his brother's eyes, he got up, and walked towards the door._

"Brother, no!_" As soon as the door slammed closed, Al screamed "_DON'T LEAVE ME!_"_

_Ed heard him, but didn't stop. He couldn't, or he would never be able to leave. He didn't want to leave, but he knew it was for Al's own good. Their relationship wasn't healthy. Ed didn't have a problem with it, but he knew the world did. He hadn't thought things through as he shared his first kiss with Al. He hadn't know what would happen._

_He wasn't leaving because he wanted to, he was leaving because he had to. He couldn't see Al hurt and shunned anymore. If Ed could do anything to prevent or ease his brother's pain, he would. He didn't care if he hurt himself in the process. He didn't care if he felt like he had just fallen into a lake of shattered glass. He didn't care if he was slowly bleeding to death on the inside. As long as Al was happy, he would be fine. _

- - -

A tear fell from a golden eye as the memory of that day attacked Ed's mind. It was shortly after when he had gotten together with Mustang. Ed's relationship with the colonel was everything the one with his brother had not been. Where the Elric brothers' relationship was gentle and warm, Ed and Roy's was rough and cold. The new relationship was lacking love, though sex was not a rare occurrence. Neither were Ed's tears. While Roy held affection for Ed, he knew the boy could never love him, and that the relationship would forever be empty and meaningless.

As mentioned before, Ed had not had any contact with his brother since the elder of the two had walked away. Ed wasn't surprised though, he had known that there was no looking back after making his decision. Of course, that didn't stop the pain that was tearing him apart inside. The monster that haunted him, kept him from sleeping. That monster was the reason he was awake at that moment.

Ed hadn't known that Al was going to be married until he received a letter from Winry after the fact. She had informed him that she was sorry that she couldn't invite him to her and Al's wedding, but her husband had insisted. Ed had been filled with bitter happiness at the news. That was three years ago, and two after the break up.

Ed was snapped once again from his musings as a shrill sound filled his ears. He looked around, confused, before the realized the telephone was ringing. He hurried to it, jumping over the coffee table as he rushed to pick up the receiver. He hoped the sound had not awaked Mustang.

He put the phone up to his ear, nearly immediately hearing sniffles and half-sobs. His heart sank. He didn't knew who it was, but he knew that they were crying. "Hello?" he asked softly.

"B-brother?" the voice on the other end choked out.

* * *

_**So.. For some reason, I feel the worst for Mustang in this fic. 'Cuz he's stuck with Ed.. And Ed has absolutely no interest in him.. So sad.. Anywho! Please review! **_


	2. Of Phone Calls and Love

_**So.. This has morphed into a four-shot.. Well, a three-shot and then and epilogue type thingy... But whatever, you get the point. Fear it. **_

* * *

Lips of An Angel

Chapter Two: Of Phone Calls and Love

_He put the phone up to his ear, nearly immediately hearing sniffles and half-sobs. His heart sank. He didn't knew who it was, but he knew that they were crying. "Hello?" he asked softly._

"_B-brother?" the voice on the other end choked out._

Ed felt his world crashing down around him. He felt like his reality was a broken mirror, falling around him as he was plunged into darkness. "Al?" he asked, his voice cracking with shock and raw emotion. There was a pause before the voice on the other line spoke again.

"Yeah," Al sniffed. "It's me."

Ed shook his head, he couldn't believe his ears. The voice was a bit deeper than he remembered, but it was undoubtably Al. It was Al calling, it was Al who wanted to talk to Ed. Suddenly fear gripped at Ed's heart. He knew he shouldn't have been talking to Al right then, not after the memory flood. It could mess up everything. Ed wasn't very good at not giving into temptation, and Al was the biggest temptation Ed had ever had in his life. "Al.." Ed said slowly, reluctantly. "It's late.. Why did you call?"

He hated saying the name, it brought forth guilt. He wasn't ignorant enough to think he hadn't hurt Al, but he genuinely believed that everything he did was for his little brother's own good. Though, hearing Al now, the sobs and sniffles, Ed began to question his decision.

"I j-just wanted to t-talk to you, Brother.." Al sounded almost ashamed, and Ed could tell that he was trying to control and hide his crying.

"Al.. Why are you crying?" Ed asked softly. "Did something happen?"

There was a quiet rustling sound that told Ed that Al was shaking his head. "N-no.. I'm fine. I just miss you, Brother.."

"Al," Ed said as if he was scolding a small child. "You have Winry, and Mustang's only two rooms away. We shouldn't be talking."

"But we're _**brothers**_!" He sounded close to hysterics.

"We both know that's not why you called," Ed replied calmly. "We stopped being brothers a long time ago.."

"Ed.." Al's voice dropped to such a low whisper that Ed had to strain his ears to hear. "I'm still in love with you.."

Ed dropped into a nearby chair, because his legs had given out. '_Don't say that, Al, never that.. I can't handle that.._' Ed's mind tortured him with these thoughts. "You have Winry, Al, and I have Mustang."

"Ed, I know you don't love him," Al said stubbornly. "You won't even say his first name.. And I do love Winry, but not as much as I love you."

"...Why did you call me, Al?" Ed asked softly, sadly.

"I..." The sobs had ceased to come. "I had a dream about you.."

Images flooded the older brother's mind of dreams featuring his younger brother, especially the ones that awakened him at night. He slowly shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "Does Winry know you called me?"

There was a brief silence on the other line. "Does she have to?"

Ed sighed. "Yes, I think she has a right to know that her husband is talking to his ex on the phone so late at night. I don't want this to be the cause of any fights between you two.."

Silence reigned for a couple of moments, before the younger Elric broke it. "Brother, can you meet me somewhere tomorrow?"

"Al, I-"

"It's not like that!" Al said quickly. "It's just.. There are some people you need to meet. We won't stay long, just for a little while."

Ed took a moment to ponder before he finally answered. "Fine, but it'll only be lunch, understand?"

"Of course!" Al's voice sounded happier. "We'll meet you at that one café we used to always go to in Central! Bye, Brother!"

Ed slowly set the phone back down on the cradle, staring at it in clam shock. "Goodbye.." he whispered minutes later.

"Who was that?" Roy asked with a yawn, stretching in the doorway. Ed did not even bother to turn around as he replied.

"Nobody important."

Roy frowned at the back of Ed's head. "Why don't you come back to bed?"

"Not tired," Ed replied coldly. A smirk twisted Roy's lips and he wrapped his arms around Ed's neck, leaning forward to whisper in the blond's ear.

"I never said we had to _sleep_."

Ed nodded distractedly, and followed Roy into the bedroom. Ed tried to lose himself in the heat, as he had done so many times before, but it was useless. Thoughts of Al kept creeping into his mind, and he had to bite his lip to prevent himself from screaming out his brother's name. After it was over and Roy was asleep, Ed laid awake in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He felt dirty, tainted, and not worthy of being in his beloved brother's presence. He dreaded the morning's coming.

"_Honey why you calling me so late _

_It's kinda hard to talk right now _

_Honey why you crying is everything okay _

_I gotta whisper cause I can't be too loud _

_Well, my girl's in the next room _

_Sometimes I wish she was you _

_I guess we never really moved on _

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name _

_It sounds so sweet _

_Coming from the lips of an angel _

_Hearing those words it makes me weak _

_And I never wanna say goodbye _

_But girl you make it hard to be faithful _

_With the lips of an angel _

_It's funny that you're calling me tonight _

_And yes I dreamt of you too _

_And does he know you're talking to me _

_Will it start a fight _

_No I don't think she has a clue _

_Well my girl's in the next room _

_Sometimes I wish she was you _

_I guess we never really moved on _

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name _

_It sounds so sweet _

_Coming from the lips of an angel _

_Hearing those words it makes me weak _

_And I never wanna say goodbye _

_But girl you make it hard to be faithful _

_With the lips of an angel _

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name _

_It sounds so sweet _

_Coming from the lips of an angel _

_Hearing those words it makes me weak _

_And I never wanna say goodbye _

_But girl you make it hard to be faithful _

_With the lips of an angel _

_(And I never wanna say goodbye) _

_But girl you make it hard to be faithful _

_With the lips of an angel _

_Honey why you calling me so late"_

_-"Lips of an Angel" by Hinder-_

* * *

_**Yeah.. I'll admit I'm a tad f-cked up in the head.. But that's okay... Review pwease! **_


	3. Meetings and Goodbyes

_**So I decided that I should finally finish posting all of these chapters. Guess what everybody? I'm on Spring Break! BOO YA! And, because I luffs you all, I decided, instead of going anywhere, I would stay home, relax, and update FANFICTION! Whoot! ..Okay, on with the story. **_

* * *

Lips of an Angel

Chapter Three: Meetings and Goodbyes

Ed spent hours making sure he looked presentable for his lunch with Al. He felt a bit stupid for making such a fuss over his appearance, but he couldn't stop fidgeting. He frowned as he looked in the mirror, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, the ones that had been there for days now, and his hair that had been pulled into a poorly done braid. He sighed and re-braided his hair once again, before finally giving up.

He pulled a dark blue jacket over his black tank top, and then threading a black belt though the loops of his jeans. He looked different than Al remembered and he knew it. He hadn't dressed the same since he moved in with Roy. He didn't know why, it was just the way it was. He pulled on black tennis shoes and walked out the door, locking it behind him.

Golden eyes drank in the world around him as he walked to the café. He hadn't realized until that moment that couldn't remember the last time he had been outside. He vaguely remembered walking to work, but he hadn't actually enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors in years. The thought of work made him smile a bit; Roy was at work that day, and Ed wasn't. A small victory, but, since it brought Ed an minuscule amount of happiness, he would take it. That was, until the thought of how Roy would whine about having to work more than Ed popped into the blond's mind.

Ed sighed, continuing on his way, wondering if he would make it to the café before Al. He wasn't sure if he would prefer it or not. He was scared and excited all at the same time. He was nearly shaking as he spotted the building that was his destination. In front of the café, there were five tables, umbrellas up to shade the customers from the sun. Ed was just entering the outside dining area when a voice called to him. "Ed!" Said Elric stopped dead in his tracks, looking over at the table placed directly in the middle of all the others. There sad his brother, Al, waving him over.

Ed's feet seemed to have melted into the cement, and brain and voice box seemed to have been disconnected. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he could barely form a thought. He just stared at his younger brother, drinking in the sight of him. The younger Elric didn't look much different, except maybe that his hair was a bit longer, and he looked older. He had also developed the laid back style of the residents of Resembool. Ed swallowed hard, before a single choked word escaped his mouth. "Al."

Realizing that his brother wasn't going to come on his own, Al went over to him. "Brother, it's so good to see you," he said with a smile. Ed mentally shook his head- Everything seemed wrong to him; everything seemed strange and unnatural, and maybe it was. He hadn't realized he was crying until arms wrapped around his shoulders. Still crying, he hugged back, but soon pulled away, looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry," Ed whispered, ashamed. "I shouldn't be crying, I'm.. I'm weak."

Al frowned at him, pity clear in his facial expression. "Brother, you're not weak. And I was crying last night, remember?"

Ed nodded, still not adverting his gaze. Al sighed and grabbed his brother's hand, pulling him over to the table the younger Elric had previously occupied. Ed soon found himself seated in a chair, Al sitting across from him. Ed's eyes refused to look up from his hands until he felt tiny arms wrap around him. He looked up, surprised, into big blue eyes. "Don't be sad," a small, high voice told him.

The one hugging him was a little girl, probably only three or four. Her light brown hair was pulled back into pig tails that fell just passed her shoulders. Ribbons curled down, entwined with her hair. She wore a light blue dress, which complimented her eyes. The oceanic orbs were filled with sadness and pity for Ed. The elder Elric suspected that the little girl would be the type of person to truly care about others, and try her hardest to make their lives better.

Ed looked at Al with confusion. The brunette was smiling back at him as though this was all completely normal. "Who..?" Ed trailed off.

A boy, who seemed to be only a year or two younger than the girl, pulled on the sleeve of the girl's dress. "Come on, Sis, I don't think he likes it..."

The girl reluctantly released the bewildered Ed, and the elder Elric turned to inspect the boy. The boy's dirty blond hair fell into his eyes where it wasn't pulled back into a short, ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were brown, rimmed with dark blue. He had a frown on his face as he stared back at Ed. The boy then turned to Al. "Daddy, who's this?"

Ed felt like he was falling again- Al was a father. He had been for years, and no one had bothered to inform Ed. Winry must have been impregnated shortly after her marriage to Al. Ed finally felt that he had reached the end. In all honesty, a small part of him had been filled with hope of bing with Al again, but that hope was shattered now. Ed felt the bitter sweetness of the moment consume him. He couldn't be angry, and he couldn't really be sad. The children were beautiful, perfect. Just like their father.

Al smiled at him, that perfect smile of his. His eyes filled with warmth and love. "Well, Josh," Al said, addressing the boy. "That is your Uncle Ed."

Josh tiled his head to the side. "Uncle... Ed? That guy that Mommy showed us pictures of?" Al nodded the affirmative as the little girl rushed over, hugging Ed again.

"I'm Rayne!" she said cheerfully. Ed blinked at her, still in shock.

"Hi Rayne.." he said. She smiled at him and climbed into his lap.

"Brother, these are my kids," Al said, directing his warm smile at his brother. Ed looked over at his brother, seeing the happiness radiating from the man.

"Al, they're.." He looked down at Rayne. "They're beautiful..."

Josh made a face of disgust. "Ew! Am not!"

This brought a small chuckle from Ed, and Al laughed along. After they stopped, Rayne got her father's attention. "Daddy, you promised you'd take us to the park."

Al smiled at her. "And I will, after we eat."

Rayne beamed at him. "Okay!"

After eating, the group found themselves in Central Park. The kids were playing on the equipment, while the Elric brothers sat on a nearby park bench. They watched the kids play, an everything was peaceful. At the same time, though, Ed felt a tugging in his mind; he needed to talk to Al.

"Al..." he started softly. "Why did you call me last night?"

Al looked over at him with a frown. "I already told you that, Brother."

"But you have _kids_."

"I know that, Ed, but that doesn't make me content," Al said, locking eyes with his brother. "I love my kids, and I love Winry- I really do love Winry, Brother, but I love you more. Can you understand that?"

Ed shook his head. "No, I can't." It was barely a whisper. "Because there's only been you.."

"Brother, why do you stay with Colonel Mustang if you don't love him?"

Ed shrugged. "It's been like that for so long, it's almost natural. Besides, he helps me forget..."

"About me?" Al asked softly. Ed shook his head.

"About us," he corrected and then paused. "Al, how could you even think of leaving Winry for me? You have kids."

"I'm sure they'd understand, Brother," Al replied, sounding sure of himself. Ed shook his head angrily.

"And what if they didn't? Better yet, how do you think they would be treated by everyone else?" his tone was harsh, but he kept quiet so that he didn't bother the kids or any of the other families at the park.

Al's face fell. "But it's not their sin.."

"People don't care about that! Children are punished for their parents' sins all the time! They'll end up isolated, tortured because of us! Do you really want that, Al?!" Al was crying quietly by and point, and a tear ran down Ed's cheek. "I never thought you'd be so selfish.."

"What's wrong?" the children had come back. They were standing in front of the brothers, looking sad and lost. Rayne was holding a bouquet of dandelions limply in her hand, and Josh had a rock that sparkled with the crystals imbedded in its rough surface.

The Elric brothers looked up at the children, suddenly ashamed. Al held out his arms to them. "Come here." The children obeyed, climbing onto their father's lap. He smiled, wiping away his tears. "Daddy's fine, he's just really happy to be able to see Uncle Ed again."

Rayne crawled from her father's lap to Ed's, presenting him with the flowers. "Don't be sad.."

Ed hadn't realized that he was crying once again, and, even now, he didn't wipe away his tears. Instead, he pulled the girl into a tight hug, and she hugged him back, smiling sweetly. He looked teary-eyed at Al. "You have a beautiful family, Al."

Al's tears had returned as he nodded. "I know, Brother..." then, more quietly, he said, "You're a part of it too, you know.."

The children looked confusedly from their father to their uncle and back again. They couldn't comprehend what was going on, or why the men were crying. All they knew was that they didn't like it- They wanted them to be happy. Rayne hugged tighter to her uncle, and Josh snuggled into his father's lap. They looked at each other, hoping for answers, but finding nothing.

After a while, the tears stopped, and everything was quiet. It was beginning to get dark out, and Josh had fallen asleep. Rayne stared at her brother and father with heavy eyelids, half asleep herself. Finally, the silence was broken. "We should both get home," Ed said quietly. Al nodded in agreement, and they both stood up, picking up the children as they did so.

Ed walked Al to his rented apartment, still carrying Rayne. Al's train wouldn't be leaving until the next day. After putting the kids to bed, the brothers turned back to each other. Al knew that his brother wouldn't be staying long. He was sure he had his children to thank for Ed staying as long as he had. "It was nice to see you again, Brother," Al said with a smile.

Ed was looking at the floor as he nodded. "It was nice to see you and meet the kids."

"I'm not going to see you again, am I?" It wasn't really a question; both men knew the answer. "Goodbye, Brother."

Ed felt like he was exploding. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He pushed Al up against the wall, crushing their lips together. There was no hesitation from the younger brother before he was kissing back. They bother knew that this was their last chance.

Ed pulled away a minute later, staring into his brother's eyes. Al's face was flushed as he stared back. Ed pushed away, driving Al further into the wall for a second. The older brother looked at the floor, not daring to meed Al's eyes. "Goodbye, Al.." He sounded sad, and Al knew it was forever. As he watched Ed walk out the door, he knew that it was unlikely that he would ever see him again. He wished he could change the past, change the future, but he also knew when to accept his fate. His beloved brother was gone from his life.

* * *

_**SAD! So.. Next chapter's the epilogue.. And believe me, it doesn't get any happier. You guys can stop reading now if you so choose, but please review.**_


	4. Epilogue

_**Well, this is the end. It's been real... Actually, it's been fiction, but we'll ignore that technical detail... So, let's hope that this epilogue doesn't suck as much as the one in Harry Potter!**_

* * *

Lips of an Angel

Epilogue: Beginnings

Al was not surprised when he got the phone call from Roy, nothing his brother did really surprised him any more. He didn't like it, but he knew better than to try and change it. The younger Elric learned from his mistakes, and he knew that some things just had to stay the way they were. The cost was too great to attempt to change them.

He dressed the children in black, grabbed his wife's hand, and left the house on the day of darkness. Winry was crying, and the kids stood close to their parents, silent and confused. They didn't understand their mother's sadness. Only Al stayed calm. Of all the people present, only Al and the preacher were free of tears.

Al almost had to laugh at the irony of it all. His brother had never believed in God, and yet, in the end, here they were, his friends and family praying for a safe voyage to a heaven he had never believed in. Al wondered if he would make it. He sincerely hoped that Ed would finally find happiness.

Rayne was pulling on her father's coat sleeve. He looked down to see her gazing up at him, confused and innocent. "Where's Uncle Ed, Daddy? They're all talking about him, where is he?"

A sob racked Winry's body as her daughter's question reached her ears. Al kneeled down in front of the girl, silently pointing to the long, wooden case. "He's in the box' Rayne asked, and Al nodded. "How come? Can we see him?" Winry kneeled down next to Al, shaking her head sadly.

"No, honey, we can't see him."

Rayne pushed out her bottom lip, looking from one parent to the other. "But-"

Al cut her off, looking at his wife. "Winry, why don't you take the kids home?" he suggested gently. "They shouldn't be here.."

Winry nodded, grabbing each child by the hand. As they walked away, Al heard Rayne speak again. "But I wanted to play with Uncle Ed.."

Al sighed, staring up at the place where his brother lay. Al and his family had been seating in the back, so that Al couldn't quite see into the open casket. He thought of Rayne's questions, and Josh standing silently by his sobbing mother. How could they ever understand what had happened? Children brought such sadness to funerals...

Later on, Al walked forward to lay a flower on the casket. He peered down at his brother, admiring the cold beauty. Long sleeves covered Ed's arms, hiding the mutilation. His final confession, his final words: _**I love you Al**_ Al had seen the bloody words the night of the death. He admired the perfection of Ed's looks with these wounds covered.

Al wondered at his own sanity as he walked away from the funeral. With all of the tears that had fallen from his eyes before, at times that now seemed irrelevant, he wondered why none fell now. He wondered why he felt cold and empty, why the sadness didn't reach him. He wondered why the death had not surprised him. He must have known his brother's intention all along.. So why hadn't he tried to stop him? Denial was a funny thing.

His fingers brushed against the crumpled paper in his pocket. The last note, addressed to him. He took it out, unfolding it gently. The writing was shaky, nervous.

_Al, _

_Forgive me. I know my actions are inexcusable, but I think it's better this way._

_Everything I've ever done has been for you. That's why I left, but this...I don't _

_know. This might be for me. You have a beautiful family, Al, never forget them._

_Stay there with them, live for them, and protect them with your life. Those kids_

_need you like we needed dad. Don't you dare repeat his mistakes, or I'll haunt_

_your ass. I've already said goodbye, and I won't repeat it. I love you, Al. _

_Never forget. _

_Ed _

Al refolded the paper, and shoved it back into his pocket. It was strange, knowing that his brother's last thoughts were of him. Al felt pity for Roy. He knew that the Colonel had really loved Ed, and it was no secret that the Elric hadn't returned the feelings, Ed's feelings for the Flame Alchemist had bordered on resentment. It was all rather sad.

Al looked toward the sky, the bright blue and the sun mocking the day. Why would the sun shine down upon death? How dare the Gods mock the end of Edward Elric? The sky and the sun; they didn't understand. They didn't appreciate the severity of the occasion. They were ignorant, imbeciles, joking at a funeral. Al pitied them, and smiled. He let the sun bathe him in warm, golden light. It was so familiar, yet different from what he remembered.

Yes, he would live, he would continue on. He wouldn't run away as his brother and father had. They were so alike, though Ed would not enjoy that knowledge. Al was sure that Ed hadn't even realized how alike his death was to their father's abandonment. Al smiled wider as he thought of his brother's foolishness. It was so like Ed, who was always rash with his actions and late to think.

Al walked home, a smile still on his face. He walked calmly through the door, pulling his children into his arms. He planted a kiss on each of their cheeks, then smiled at his wife. "I've come home, I've come to live."

He could almost feel his brother smiling down upon him as these words passed his lips. He looked again to the golden sun, knowing that he would never be alone. As long as the sun continued to shine, he would have his brother's love. After all, the Elric brother's were forever together, not even death itself could keep them apart. Al knew that his children would grow up under the light and protection of their uncle. This day was not the end, for the end would never come. Endings did not exist for those bearing the name of Elric, only beginnings.

* * *

_**Heh.. I can't really pass that off as a happy ending, can I? Well, it ends with a feeling of hope at least! Although it's still really sad, with Ed dead and all... Anyway, please review! I would like to know what you all thought! Also, to any artists out there, I would really appreciate fanart if you would care to create it! **_


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